Is Manus the Future of AI Agents or is it just Hype?

China’s latest AI sensation, Manus, has been making waves globally.  Some call it a game-changer, an autonomous AI agent capable of planning, making decisions, and executing real-world tasks, which is a step beyond traditional AI assistants.

But is it truly revolutionary, or just clever marketing?

In the latest episode of Inspiring Tech Leaders, I dive deep into Manus’ potential, controversies, and the bigger picture of China’s AI ambitions.

This episode explores the following:

💡  What is Manus?  A powerful AI agent developed by Butterfly Effect, a little-known Chinese startup.

💡  Why does it matter?  China is shifting from Large Language Models (LLMs) to AI agents that act, not just predict.

💡  The controversy includes limited access, invite codes being resold, social media bans, and questions about its real capabilities.

💡  Are we witnessing the next big leap in AI, or is this another overhyped product?

AI agents like Manus could change how we interact with technology, but the jury is still out.

What about you?  Do you think Manus is the future of AI, or just another viral moment?

Transcript

Welcome to the Inspiring Tech Leaders podcast, with me Dave Roberts.  Today we are talking about Manus, an AI that has been making waves worldwide.

It has been called a game-changer, a true general AI agent, and even China’s next big AI moment.  But is it all hype, or are we witnessing another shift in artificial intelligence?

From its sudden rise to fame to the controversy surrounding its rollout, I’m unpacking everything you need to know about Manus.

So, let’s get started.  What is Manus?

Imagine an AI that doesn’t just think, but actually executes tasks.  That is the promise of Manus, an artificial intelligence agent developed by a relatively unknown Chinese company called Butterfly Effect.

Unlike traditional AI assistants, which mainly generate responses or suggestions, Manus claims to be an autonomous agent, which is capable of planning, making decisions, and carrying out complex, real-world tasks independently.

According to its developers, Manus can create websites from scratch, plan itineraries for trips, analyse stock market trends, compare insurance policies, and even assist businesses in sourcing suppliers.

It is currently in an invite-only web preview, but a demonstration video on its website, Manus.im, shows how it works in real-time.

The video has gone viral and is appearing all over the internet at the moment.

But why does Manus matter?

If this all sounds a little familiar, that’s because China has been on a roll in AI this year.

Back in January, another Chinese AI project called DeepSeek made headlines when it released its R1 reasoning model.  Some called it a “Sputnik moment” for AI, and a wake-up call for the U.S. and Western tech giants.

DeepSeek proved that Chinese companies could build competitive Large Language Models (LLMs) at a fraction of the cost of OpenAI, Google, and Meta.

Now, with Manus, China seems to be taking another step forward, shifting from traditional LLMs to AI agents that don’t just process information but actually act on it!

This is a big deal because many experts believe autonomous AI agents are the next evolution of artificial intelligence.

However, there is also controversy surrounding Manus.

First, while the demo video is impressive, very few people have actually used Manus.  That’s because of its invite-only system.

And this has led to some suspicious behaviour online.  On second-hand marketplaces in China, people have been buying and selling Manus invitation codes, almost like concert tickets!

Critics have accused Manus’ developers of using artificial scarcity as a marketing tactic.  But the company insists it is simply a server capacity issue.

In a social media post, Manus’ product partner admitted they underestimated public demand and designed their servers for a limited demo, not a full-scale launch.

And then there’s the issue with the X Social Platform.

Just a day after Manus’ launch, the company’s official account was suspended for violating platform rules.  While there is no official reason, some suspect it was linked to cryptocurrency scams by third-party accounts trying to capitalise on Manus’ viral success. 

Beyond the access issues, some experts have raised questions about Manus’ actual capabilities.

Unlike DeepSeek, which developed its own foundation models, Manus is reportedly built on existing Large Language Models (LLMs).  But the team has not disclosed which ones.

Some believe this suggests Manus is not as groundbreaking as it claims to be and that it is more of an advanced workflow automation tool rather than a true leap forward in AI.

But Manus’ co-founder, defended the project, saying it is built on a multi-agent system using multiple AI models.  He also promised to open-source some of their work in the future.

So, who is behind Manus?

Unlike OpenAI or DeepMind, which are backed by major corporations and well-known researchers, Manus was developed by a relatively unknown company called Butterfly Effect.

It is based in Beijing and Wuhan and has only a few dozen employees.  The company’s founder, is a 33-year-old entrepreneur who previously created WeChat-based plug-in apps that were later acquired.

In 2022, he launched Monica.ai, a browser extension AI assistant, which demonstrates that he has got experience in the AI space.  But Butterfly Effect has not shared much about its structure, investors, or partnerships, which raises some eyebrows.

What does this mean for the Future of Manus?

Well, for now, Manus remains in limited access, but the team has hinted it will eventually be free to use, although it is unclear when.

 Despite server issues and scepticism, investors remain very interested in Manus, seeing it as a sign that China is rapidly advancing in the AI race.

But whether Manus is truly a breakthrough or just another overhyped AI project remains to be seen.

So, where does that leave us?

Is Manus a revolution or just great marketing?

On one hand, its ability to execute tasks autonomously is exciting, especially if it lives up to its promises.  On the other, there are a lot of unanswered questions, from its underlying technology to why so few people have actually used it.

But one thing is clear China is making serious moves in AI and autonomous AI agents are the future.  Manus is a name to watch, whether it succeeds or not

That’s all for today’s episode!  If you have enjoyed this episode of the Inspiring Tech Leaders, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review.  Thanks again for listening, and until next time, stay curious, stay connected, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in tech.